Fatalities

1

DUI Arrests

30

Injury Accidents

14

Felony DUI Arrests

0

Non-Injury Accidents

70

Misd. Warrants Served

11

Misd. Drug Arrests

29

Felony Warrants Served

1

Felony Drug Arrests

8

Other Felony Arrests

0

Overweight in excess of 5,000 lbs.

2

Drivers Placed Out-of-Service

23

Vehicles Placed Out-of-Service

30

ABERDEEN DISTRICT

January 8th:

Trooper LaFramboise assisted a Walworth County Deputy with a motorist on US 12. Following an investigation, a police service dog was brought to the scene. A subsequent search revealed marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The occupants of the vehicle were placed under arrest and transported to the Walworth County Jail.

January 9th:

Trooper Jensen and Captain Weinmeister were interviewed on the In-Touch radio show broadcasted by the Dakota Radio Group. They discussed the Department of Public Safety’s “Move Over” campaign.

Trooper Norman stopped a vehicle for a moving violation in rural Roberts County.

While speaking with the driver, Trooper Norman detected the odor of alcohol on the driver’s breath. The driver failed sobriety tests and was arrested for DUI.

Trooper Norman responded to an injury crash near the South Shore exit on I-29. A northbound driver took her eyes off the roadway and veered into the median. She overcorrected and the vehicle rolled over two times. The driver was treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries. She was cited accordingly.

January 10th:

Trooper Serr stopped a vehicle for a moving violation three miles north of US12 on SD45. The driver failed sobriety tests and was arrested for DUI. A search of the vehicle revealed a wooden dugout box, a metal pipe containing marijuana, and an opened can of beer. The driver was charged accordingly.

January 11th:

Trooper Nordquist gave a safety presentation to members of the Wessington Springs Fire Department. He spoke about crash scene preservation and seatbelt safety.

Trooper Chamberlain completed an investigation into a false title and registration application. He located and arrested the subject in Huron.

Trooper Norman investigated a one-vehicle rollover crash in Roberts County on I-29. The driver had the cruise control activated when the vehicle hit a patch of ice, left the roadway, and rolled over. The driver and passenger were wearing seatbelts and were not injured.

January 12th:

Trooper Englund investigated an injury crash south of Summit on I-29. A southbound driver lost control of the vehicle on the icy road conditions. The vehicle slid off the roadway and rolled over. The driver sustained minor injuries.

January 13th:

Trooper Jensen stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation. He detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle which was occupied by eight juveniles. Upon completion of the investigation, the driver was arrested for zero tolerance DUI and ingesting a substance other than alcohol for intoxication. Two passengers were charged with ingesting. Another passenger who was on probation was detained and transported by Trooper Olauson to the Juvenile Detention Center.

Trooper Gruman investigated a two-vehicle injury crash approximately ten miles south of Summit on I-29. The driver of a northbound vehicle attempted to pass another northbound vehicle and drifted into the driving lane. The two vehicles collided and came to rest on the edge of the roadway. Both drivers were treated for minor injuries. The driver who was attempting to pass was cited accordingly.

January 14th:

The Huron Squad and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office conducted a sobriety checkpoint in Clark County.

The Aberdeen Squad, the Aberdeen Police Department, and the Brown County Sheriff’s Office conducted a sobriety checkpoint near Aberdeen. A saturation patrol of Brown County was conducted following the checkpoint.

Trooper Gruman investigated a non-injury crash on I-29 in Deuel County. The driver of a pickup pulling a pontoon lost control on the icy roadway and collided into a passing motorist. No one was injured.

SIOUX FALLS DISTRICT

January 8th:

Trooper Biehl stopped for a motorist assist approximately ten miles west of Winner on US 183. He detected an overwhelming odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately ¾ of an ounce of marijuana. Three individuals were arrested and charged accordingly.

Trooper Vargas investigated a two-vehicle injury crash in Lake County on US 81 near Madison. A southbound driver slowed to make a left turn and was rear-ended by another southbound driver. The driver in the turning vehicle received serious injuries and was airlifted to Avera McKennan Hospital. The other driver was cited for careless driving. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts.

Trooper Grant Lubbers was at the Charles Mix Sheriff’s Office in Lake Andes when an intoxicated female came stumbling into the office. She had decided to drive to the Sheriff’s office to get a ride home. Following an investigation, Trooper Lubbers arrested her for DUI.

January 9th:

Trooper Eberhart stopped a vehicle for expired substitute plates near Vermillion on SD 50. During the course of the stop, Trooper Eberhart discovered that the male’s driver license was revoked by statute and suspended for financial responsibility. In addition, he had no insurance on the vehicle and was not wearing his seatbelt. Trooper Eberhart also discovered that the driver had a Lincoln County bench warrant for failure to appear on a DUI charge. The driver was taken into custody and transported to the Clay County Jail. He was charged with driving under revocation, substitute plates, no proof of insurance, and no seatbelt.

January 10th:

Trooper Lord stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation on I-229. The driver had a felony warrant issued from Minnehaha County for failure to pay child support. The driver was also charged with misdemeanor drug possession.

Trooper Olson responded to an injury crash at the intersection of SD 34 and 461st Avenue. The driver of a southbound pickup failed to yield at a stop sign when approaching SD 34 and was struck by a westbound vehicle in the intersection. Both drivers received minor injuries and were transported to the Madison Hospital. The driver of the southbound vehicle was arrested for DUI.

Trooper John Lord stopped a vehicle for lane driving on I-90 in Davison County. Following an investigation, Police Service Dog Aros was deployed. A subsequent search revealed approximately ½ ounce of marijuana, marijuana brownies, prescription medicine used to treat ADHD, and marijuana paraphernalia. Two of the six occupants in the vehicle were arrested on various drug charges.

January 11th:

Trooper Heinrich investigated a two-vehicle fatal crash on I-90 near Kimball. The driver of an eastbound 2002 Ford Explorer lost control of his vehicle on the icy road. The vehicle entered the median and continued across to the westbound lanes of I-90 and was struck by a westbound 2003 Ford Explorer. The male driver of the eastbound 2002 Explorer was pronounced deceased at the scene. The passengers in the 2002 Explorer and the driver of the 2003 Explorer received serious injuries and were transported to a hospital in Chamberlain. Sergeant Koenig assisted with the on-going investigation. The Brule County Sheriff’s Office and the Kimball Police Department assisted at the scene.

Sergeant Whisler and Trooper Husby responded to two separate rollover crashes that occurred simultaneously on I-29 near Jefferson. One rollover occurred south of the Jefferson Port of Entry and the other occurred just north of the port of entry. Both involved full-size delivery vans whose driver lost control on the ice covered roadway. Trooper Husby responded to the crash in which a southbound driver lost control and the van entered the west ditch and rolled. The occupants were not injured. Sergeant Whisler responded to a crash in which a northbound driver lost control and the van slid through the center median, rolled onto the southbound lanes, and was clipped by a southbound semi. The van came to rest in the west ditch. The semi was disabled and had to be towed from the scene. The driver of the van was transported to a hospital in Sioux City. The driver of the semi was not injured.

January 13th:

Trooper Boltjes responded to an injury crash four miles south of US18 on I-29. A 19-year-old female driver of a pickup was traveling at approximately 35 to 40 mph due to blowing snow and icy road conditions. A 54-year-old bus driver failed to notice the pickup and rear-ended it. The two occupants in the pickup and four occupants on the bus received injuries and were transported to a hospital in Sioux Falls. The bus driver was cited for careless driving.

January 14th:

Trooper Heinrich and Sergeant Koenig responded to loaded semi-trucks that rolled in the median on I-90 west of Oacoma. One driver was hospitalized due to his injuries. The other driver was not injured. Trooper Heinrich cited both drivers for overdriving road conditions. The Chamberlain Police Department and Lyman County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.

Trooper Michael Peterson was called to a minor injury crash approximately two miles east of Mitchell on I-90. The driver of westbound Dodge pickup lost control of the vehicle on the icy roads. The vehicle entered the median, collided with a culvert, rolled over, and came to rest on its top. The driver was wearing his seatbelt and sustained minor injuries.

Trooper Aaron Hanson stopped a vehicle for driving on the wrong side of the road near Ravinia. Following sobriety test, the driver was placed under arrest for DUI.

RAPID CITY DISTRICT

January 10th:

Trooper Hamar stopped a vehicle for a stop sign violation on SD 248 in Kadoka. The Kadoka Police Chief assisted with the stop. While Trooper Hamar was conducting field sobriety tests on the driver, the female passenger exited the vehicle and became irate. The Kadoka Police Chief attempted to place the female back into the vehicle. She did not cooperate and the chief eventually arrested her for disorderly conduct. Trooper Hamar arrested the driver for DUI.

High winds and blowing snow caused icy road conditions on I-90 near Sturgis. Troopers were kept busy responding to calls and investigating crashes.

January 12th:

Troopers Bader and Oxner gave a safety presentation to the Pennington County grand jury. Topics included highway safety and the use of drug dogs.

Trooper Bock gave a safety presentation to the Meade County grand jury. Topics included safe driving, DUI checkpoints, and sobriety testing.

Trooper Mann assisted the Oglala Sioux Tribal Police with a Safety Day at the Loneman School. A rollover simulator demonstration was given. It was a huge success with the students.

January 13th:

Trooper Barrick assisted the Hot Springs Police Department in responding to a crash. A police officer arrested the driver for DUI and requested a DRE. Trooper Barrick evaluated the driver and found the subject to be under the influence of a central nervous system depressant.

Trooper Watson investigated a one-vehicle injury crash east of Piedmont on Elk Creek Road. The driver of the vehicle failed to negotiate a curve causing the vehicle to roll several times. The driver had been drinking and was subsequently arrested for 2nd offense DUI. The Meade County Sheriff’s Office, the Piedmont Volunteer Fire Department, and Piedmont Search and Rescue assisted at the scene.

Trooper Oxner stopped a vehicle for a moving violation east of Box Elder on I-90. Following an investigation, Trooper Oxner deployed his Police Service Dog Koda. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed numerous bags of marijuana. The driver was charged accordingly.

January 14th:

Trooper Albertson responded to a possible intoxicated driver reported to be leaving Hot Springs. A short time later, Trooper Albertson located the vehicle near Fairburn on SD 79. He conducted a traffic stop on the driver for a moving violation. Following an investigation, the driver was arrested for DUI.

MOTOR CARRIER

January 8th:

Inspector Bruzelius weighed a truck-trailer-trailer combination loaded with corn at the Blunt scale. He discovered that the vehicle was 16,180 pounds overweight on bridge axles 2-11.

January 10th & 11th:

Trooper Torok, Inspector Fischer, and Inspector Lentz provided a safety booth at the Ditch Witch University Trade Show. They gave four presentations during this two-day event. The presentations focused on Federal Motor Carrier Regulation updates and the South Dakota “Move Over” law.

January 11th:

Inspector King and Trainee Constatino conducted a safety inspection on a driver at the Sioux Falls Port of Entry. They discovered that the driver had warrants issued for his arrest from Florida and Georgia for failure to appear on traffic citations.

January 12th:

Inspector King and Trainee Constatino conducted a safety inspection on a driver at the Sioux Falls Port of Entry. They discovered that the driver had a warrant for his arrest issued from the state of Michigan.

Inspectors Lentz and Fischer provided the employees of Larson Communications in Mitchell with a presentation on the Federal Motor Carrier safety regulations.

Inspector Lentz conducted a safety inspection on a truck towing a disabled loaded armored truck. The vehicle was weighed and found to be 5,460 pounds overweight on the drive tandem axles. The driver was issued an overweight citation and the load of coins was off-loaded onto another vehicle.

January 14th:

Trooper Heuertz conducted a safety inspection on a northbound truck trailer combination traveling on I-29 near Elk Point. Following an investigation, a search revealed marijuana and numerous pieces of drug paraphernalia. Trooper Heuertz arrested the driver for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and ingestion.